1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to stools, and more particularly to stools having top structures which can be interchangeably converted from a seat unit to a vise unit for carpentry and the like. The invention has particular, but not exclusive, application to step stools.
2. The Prior Art
Several designs of step stools are already known, and are often found in kitchens. Typically, the step stool provides a seating surface, which is usually cushioned, and a flight of steps, usually comprising one or two treads, so that it is convenient to climb up the steps to stand on the seating surface, for example, to gain access to high cupboards. The step stool is normally collapsible in some way; for example, the whole stool may collapse to a flat form for storage, or the flight of steps may have a stowage position out of the way beneath the seating surface of the stool. Representative stools of the former type are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,011,585; 3,227,243 and Des. 236,244, while an example of the latter type is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,042,139.
Portable workbenches are also already known, as illustrated, for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 3,615,087 and British patent No. 1,422,521. The workbenches illustrated in these patents each provide a working surface in the form of two wooden vise beams, one of which can be moved towards and away from the other to allow a workpiece to be clamped. Each workbench is collapsible for storage purposes, since unless it is being used in an area which is devoted exclusively to work which requires such a workbench, it will be necessary to put the bench away when work has been completed, and get it out again if and when further work is done. This is fairly satisfactory if a reasonable amount of work is to be done in one session, but it is inconvenient and troublesome to get out the workbench when all that is needed is to make one sawcut, for example. As a result, there is a tendency to try to do such small jobs on makeshift benches such as kitchen stools, which are not readily suited for this purpose.